Apparatus for raising and lowering vehicle-bodies.



T. BROWN.

APPARATUS FOR RAISING AND LOWERING VEHICLE BODIES.

APPLIGATION FILED JAN. 22, 1910.

1,100,350, Patented June 16,1914.

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4 2 z arney UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THEOPI-IILUS BROWN, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO RICHARDSONMANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OFMASSACHUSETTS.

APPARATUS FOR RAISING AND LOWERING VEHICLE-BODIES.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THEOPHILUS BROWN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Worcester, in the county of lVorcester and Commonwealth ofMassachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Apparatusfor Raising and Lowering Vehicle-Bodies, of which the following is aspecification, accompanied by drawings forming a part of the same, inwhich Figure 1 is a side view of a manure spreader provided with myapparatus for raising and lowering the forward end of the body. Fig. 2is a view on an enlarged scale from Fig. 1 of my apparatus with theforward end of the body in a raised position, one of the supportingwheels having been removed. Fig. 3 is a similar view to Fig. 2, showingthe forward end of the body in a lowered position. Fig. 4 is aperspective view on an enlarged scale from Figs. 2 and 3 of a portion ofthe apparatus embodying my invention, and Fig. 5 is a detached frontview on a reduced scale from Figs. 2 and 3 of the cranked forward axleof a vehicle.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts in the difierentfigures.

My invention relates to an apparatus comprising the forward axle ofavehicle arranged to provide for the raising and lowering of the frontend of the vehicle, and it consists in the construction and arrangementof parts as hereinafter described and pointed out in the annexed claims.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown my invention as applied to amanure spreader, but it is applicable wherever it is desired to providefor raising and lowering the front end of a vehicle body.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, 1 is the body of a manurespreader with the forward end supported on an axle 2 and wheels 3. Theaxle 2, is bent upward at 1,4 to elevate the central portion 5 .which ispreferably provided with a bend 6 to embrace the king pin. Collars 7, 7are provided for the axle 2 just inside the wheels and are connected bya tie, rod 8. Eyes 9 are also arranged upon the collars 7, 7 for apurpose later to be described. A tongue 10 is pivotally attached to theelevated portions of the axle 2 upon either side of the king pin byjournal bearings inclosing the axle, by which the rotative movement ofthe Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 22, 1910.

Patented June 16, 1914. Serial No. 539,613.

elevated section of the axle with reference to the tongue is permitted.It is apparent from this construction of the axle 2 and tongue 10 thatrearward movement of the tongue 10 with relation to the wheels 3 willcarry the elevated portion 5 of the axle 2 from the position shown inFig. 2 to that of Fig. 3, and this movement will be aided by the weightof the vehicle body as soon as the portion 5 is carried to the rear ofthe vertical plane of the axle 2. In this way the vehicle body may belowered as desired for convenience in loading. To raise the body it isnecessary only that the wheels 3 be held from turning while a forwardmovement is imparted to the tongue 10. The curvature of the axle 2 is soarranged that a slight force is suflicient to raise the vehicle body,and in most cases the wheels are held from turning by friction with theground alone. The axle 2 is held in the elevated position by a lockingdevice, shown enlarged in Fig. 4.

Beneath the tongue 10 is a plate 11 at tached at its ends to the tongueand arranged to support a rod 12 transverse to the tongue and connectingthe forward ends of rods 13 and 1 1, the rear ends of which are attachedto the eyes 9 of the collars 7, 7 on the axle 2. The plate 11 isarranged to allow movement of the rod 12 for a limited distance parallelwith the tongue 10. A pivoted latch 15 actuated by a spring 15 isarranged to engage the rod 12 and hold it when in its rearmost position,which it assumes when the axle 2 is elevated, and prevent it fromsliding forward, as shown in Fig. 2. Pressure on the lever 16 of thelatch 15 will raise the latch 15 and release the rod 12, which isthereby permitted to move forward to the extent allowed by the plate 11as the tongue 10 is moved backward, swinging the axle 2 from theposition shown in Fig. 2 to the position shown in Fig. 3. The latch 15is beveled so as to be raised by contact with the rod 12 to permit thereturn of the rod to its rearward position and to be automaticallyengaged by the latch 15.

A short shaft 17 is journaled on the upper side of the tongue 10 in thebearing 18 and is provided with radial arms 19, 19 at each end, the freeends of which are slotted and inclose the ends of the rod 12. The ends20 of the shaft 17 are squared to receive a wrench in order to enablethe shaft 17 to be rocked by hand to slide the rod 12 and, by a forceapplied through the rods 13 and 14: to the forward wheels, to rock theaxle and swing its cranked section to either raise or lower the body. Itis obvious that in case the motive power of the vehicle remains attachedto the tongue, it may be utilized to accomplish the raising and loweringof the axle 2 without applying a wrench to the rod 12.

The operation of my improved device is as follows: When the parts are inthe position of Fig. 2, movement of the tongue 10 with relation to theaxle is prevented by the rods 18 and 14 held by the latch 15. Whenthelatch 15 is released by pressure upon the lever 16, rearward movementof the tongue 10 with relation to the axle 2 is permitted by movement ofthe rear wheels in order to swing the cranked section of the axlerearwardly and lower the front end of the vehicle body. This brings therod 12 connecting the rods 18 and 14 into contact with the forward curve21 of the plate 11, as shown in Fig. 3. From this position the tongue 10may be moved forward to raise the vehicle body. bringing the rod 12again at the rear of the plate 11 and in engagement with the latch 15.Any means of moving the tongue 10 may be employed and 1 have shown inthe shaft 17 and attached arms 19 means for operating the device by awrench.

The use of a cranked axle for supporting a vehicle body, I am aware isnot new, but the crown or cranked section has been rigidly held andincapable of a rotative movement in its connectirn with the body, so theaxis of the supporting wheels journaled on the ends of the axle has beenrigidly maintained in substantially the same vertical plane as the axisof the crown or cranked section 5. By my present improvement I alsoprovide means for holding the axle from rotative movement relative tothe body, but such holding means are capable of release to allow a freerotative movement to the crown or cranked section 5 within its bearings,and I also provide means by which the cranked section 5 may be rotatedin one direction to carry its axis out of the vertical plane of the axisof the supporting wheels 3, 3, in order to lower the vertical body androtated in the opposite direction to bring the two axes in the samevertical plane in order to again raise the vehicle body to its normal orele vated position.

I claim,

1. The combination with the cranked forward axle of a vehicle andforward wheels journaled on the ends of said axle, of a tongue pivotedupon said cranked axle, a collar upon either end of said axle withinsaid wheels, rods connected with said collars, and a latch upon saidtongue to engage the forward ends of said rods.

2. The combination with the c 'anked forward axle of a vehicle andforward wheels journaled on the ends of said axle, of a tongue pivotedupon said cranked axle, a collar upon either end of said axle withinsaid wheels, rods connected with said collars, and means upon saidtongue for moving said rods backward and forward, thereby rotating saidcranked axle.

3. In a vehicle, a body, a cranked axle pivotally connected with saidbody, a tongue pivotally connected with the crank section of said axle,brace rods connected with said axle on opposite sides of its cranksection and capable of a sliding movement parallel with said tongue,means for limiting the sliding movement of said brace rods, and meansfor holding said brace rods from a sliding movement.

4. In a vehicle, a body, a cranked axle pivotally connected with saidbody, a pair of supporting wheels journaled on the ends of said axle, atongue pivotally connected with said axle, a shaft journaled on saidtongue and connecting mechanism between said shaft and said axle forswinging said axle by the rotative movement of said shaft.

5. The combination with the axle of a rehicle and wheels journaled uponeither end of said axle, said axle bent upward toward the center toraise the body of the vehicle above the axis of said wheels of a tonguepivotally connected with the elevated portion of said axle, and meansconnecting said tongue with said axle for limiting rotative movement ofsaid axle around the axis of said wheels.

6. The combination with the axle of a ve hicle and wheels upon eitherend of said axle, said axle bent upward toward ihe cen ter to raise thebody of the vehicle above the axis of the wheels, of a tongue pivotallyconnected with the elevated portion of said axle, and locking meansconnected with said tongue for preventing rotative movement of said axleabout the axis of said wheels.

Dated this eighteenth day of January 1910.

THEOPHILUS BROlVN.

\Vitnesses PENELOPE COMBERBACH, NELLIE WHALEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

